TEACHING PEACE WITH JANE ADDAMS

Jump-start conversations about activism and social justice with these Jane Addams Children’s Book
Award–winning titles.

Like the Caldecott and Newbery committees, this committee is looking for literary and artistic excellence, but it also looks for books that can inspire dialogue and reflection about justice and peace in our society.

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CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS ARE SELLING MORE THAN BOOKS. THEY’RE TAKING A STAND.

Children’s books have always been political, of course — that’s why they are fixtures on lists of banned or censored books. And the welfare of children has long been at the forefront for authors who write for them. But current children’s book creators are finding new outlets for their concerns, often banding together, with the support of social media, to increase their impact.

CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR YUYI MORALES TELLS HER IMMIGRANT STORY IN ‘DREAMERS’

For 15 years, Yuyi Morales has been writing and illustrating magical, award-winning picture books about clever tricksters, monster-fighting niños and heroic historical figures such as Frida Kahlo. In all that time, it never occurred to her to tell her personal story.

Now in the wake of attacks against immigrants, she’s decided to share her perspective on her trek from Mexico to America with her then two-month-old son, Kelly, when she was 25.

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‘I GREW UP IN A SOUTHERN FAMILY—THERE WAS A LOT OF TALKING’: JACQUELINE WOODSON ON HER TWO NEW BEST SELLERS

This week, “The Day You Begin,” a children’s book inspired by his (Woodson’s great-grandfather’s) story, enters the picture book best-seller list at No. 1, while her new novel, “Harbor Me,” about a diverse group of fifth and sixth graders confronting challenges at school and home, enters the middle-grade list at No. 4.

In both books, as in much of Woodson’s work, words hold tremendous power, driving characters apart and, more often, bringing them together, providing the means to bridge differences, superficial and profound.

“It makes people feel less lonely, right? To see yourself reflected in the world. And it’s only fair to know that you’re part of this kind of continuum, or that you’re part of something bigger,” Woodson says. “So when you see those mirrors, when you finally open a book and say, ‘that’s me,’ it’s like, not only am I right here reading the book, but I’m also a part of a bigger narrative.”

FOUR QUESTIONS FOR SONIA SOTOMAYOR

What did you learn in the process of creating Turning Pages? What was it like for you to collaborate with Lulu Delacre and to see your memories come to life through her illustrations?

In our search for an illustrator, my publisher and I went through a long process of elimination. To her credit, she asked me what I didn’t like: styles that were too abstract, too dark in coloring. I said, “It has to be bright, it has to reflect [my family’s home in] the island of Puerto Rico, and it has to be lifelike—I want readers to see me as a person and not a cartoon. As soon as I saw Lulu’s work, I said, “This is it.”

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WCSU HOSTS ARTISTS TALKS ON CREATIVE PROCESS

Velasquez’ illustrations… have been featured in young-reader books about diverse subjects ranging from slavery and the Underground Railroad to Mozart, magician Harry Houdini and champion prizefighter Muhammad Ali, as well as the 2010 NAACP Image Award-winning book, “Our Children Can Soar.”

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SAVE THE DATE: JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD CEREMONY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 AT 2:30 PM

777 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA FL 2 (44TH & 1ST) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

A memorable afternoon of award presentation and responses by authors and illustrators. Meet and talk with the honored guests, including Award winners and honorees. Enjoy a reception and an opportunity for book signing after formal presentation of the awards. All the award books will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to all. Reservations are not needed. Can’t come to NYC? Follow the ceremony as it is live streamed! (Details of streaming to be announced at a later date.)